3 ms·
The study does not demonstrate what the headline claims. The study shows that a simulation where randomness plays a major role can produce similar wealth distr
by tlb 9y ago
The study does not demonstrate what the headline claims.
The study shows that a simulation where randomness plays a major role can produce similar wealth distribution to what's observed in the world. But that doesn't rule out a more deterministic mechanism.
- vannevar 9y agoTrue. But by virtue of Occam's Razor, we should prefer the random explanation, which doesn't require any deterministic rules. If I walk into my kitchen and see a broken egg on the floor, it could have been left by a wayward chicken. But the simpler explanation is that my spouse broke an egg from the refrigerator. If I prove that my spouse was home and up before me this morning, I don't really need to disprove the chicken theory to reasonably believe the simpler explanation.
- dang 9y agoOK, we've changed the title above to use your phrasing.
- mbrodersen 9y agoWhat it does show is that even if there is a "more deterministic mechanism" then it doesn't perform better than random luck.